Well as with many people who set out to write blogs on a regular basis, I have fallen foul of not keeping it current with regular updates. Working full-time and being tied to a computer all day has kind of impacted on my motivation to flick on the laptop and write content, however here we are.

So what have I got to say? Good question, I am going through the same thing with my photography. So I have been out on the streets taking photographs in Glasgow, Largs, Belfast, Gdansk and Greenock this year so far. We are off to Ireland again soon, Iw looking forward to capturing something different again whilst taking in the North and NorthWest Coastline, before heading over to the East Coast for a Coastal Rowing competition. I hope to fit another trip to Belfast in when there or another day trip later the year.

Some of the positives have been making new connections with other street photographers in Scotland and Ireland, a young band from Belfast called End Of The Episode, go check them out! I’ve been lucky enough to be shooting with the Leica Q2 and I absolutely love the experience of photographing with it as well as the quality of images I am getting from it. It has resulted in me getting close to those I am photographing, maybe too close and therefore I am loosing some off the environment which I like to capture. I’ll post a couple of images or head over to my instagram and let me know what you think, these are from Belfast?

I have attended a few demos as well as taking the street photographs this year, earlier I attended the Stop The War, Ukraine one year on. This was an emotional day, I had attended the one the year before which was shortly after the invasion by Russia. My favourite image from this was the one below, the family displaced from their home want to return as soon as it is safe, they shared their story with me and I was honoured to be allowed to take the portrait.

Although I am happy with the images I have from this important event I am mindful that there are photo journalists, some of which has cost their life, they’re reporting on the plight of Ukraine and its people. Photo journalism has changed over the years with staff jobs disappearing and many photo journalist funding their own projects in the hope they can sell the images to make a living. Some of them have put a book together Relentless Courage: Ukraine and the world at war I have a copy of the book which is not easy viewing but war never should be, and it might just support them in telling the important story of Ukraine.

Moving to using the Leica was due to a multitude of reasons, the main one being it was the right camera for what I am using it for which is documenting life. I was also inspired by the ethos on LFI (Leica Fotografie International) which is focus on witnessing life through photography. The galleries on there are well worth a look with a coffee in hand when you have time to take them in. I was again humbled to have some of my images chosen over the past few months, I will finish with these and hope you take some time to check out the other work on the site.

I hope you enjoyed this and as always I am looking out for more in depth projects, take care and I’ll try and get another blog out more regular.

Scott